You are on page 1of 20

THE COMPLETE

TRAINING PROGRAM
PLANNING GUIDE
TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRO
Why should I read the Complete Guide to PART THREE: LOGISTICS
Planning Your Training Program?. . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Budget. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
PART ONE: STRATEGY Technology. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
What are Your Training Program Objectives?. . 6 Scheduling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Focus on Business Impact. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Instructor Resources. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
PART TWO: THE BASICS Measurements and Reporting. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Who Needs to be Trained? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Marketing Your Training. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Course Content . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Do You Need Outside Help?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
How Soon Does Your Training Need
to Take Place?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Choosing a Training Location. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
INTRO

WHY SHOULD I READ THIS GUIDE?


Every training organization has one thing in common: the desire to improve the learning experience,
reduce expenses and/or increase profits. But many training managers struggle on how to align their
delivery methods, technology and content to achieve these goals.

This guide provides helpful insights


INTERNAL V. EXTERNAL
to create a training plan that will
TRAINING TRAINING PROGRAM CHECKLIST:
help you increase the efficiency
and effectiveness of your training While there are many similarities Your training program plan should include a detailed
program. in the planning and execution outline of each of the following:
of internal and external training
We’ll provide insights for how to:
programs, there are areas where you
99 Program objectives 99 Technology
• Develop a comprehensive will need to adjust your plan based 99 Business case requirements
training program plan on your audience. 99 Scheduling
99 Who needs to be
• Identify goals and objectives Several sections of this guide pull trained? 99 Instructor resources
out areas where you will need to
• Assess training needs
develop your plan differently based 99 Course content 99 Measurement and
• Address logistical requirements on whether your training program 99 Program timeline reporting
is designed for internal or external
• Optimize your training plan and 99 Location 99 Marketing your training
training.
implementation
99 Budget
• Measure and communicate
the success of your training
program

You’ll leave with valuable tools and


tips to make your next training
program a success.

Do you need help planning your training program? Call 877-226-7070 • www.mclabs.com 3
PART ONE
STRATEGY

Do you need help planning your training program? Call 877-226-7070 • www.mclabs.com 4
STRATEGY

WHAT ARE YOUR TRAINING


PROGRAM GOALS AND OBJECTIVES?
Every successful program begins with a solid plan. Start with a goal statement that answers these
questions: Why is a training program necessary and what do I want the training to accomplish?

NECESSARY FIRST STEP KEEP IT S.M.A.R.T.


Understanding and documenting As you create the objectives of your
REASONS FOR A TRAINING PROGRAM:
the goals and objectives of your training program, remember to keep Internal Training External Training
training program is the critical first them S.M.A.R.T.
• Ongoing employee • Profit and loss center
step in developing your plan. Think Specific: Be specific about what
of it in terms of a road map—you onboarding • Partner training
you want to accomplish. Answer
can’t realistically determine the • Rolling out new systems
questions such as “who, what, and • New product training
direction you want to go if you don’t why.” or processes for customers
even know where you’re headed.
Measurable: How will the success • Staff deficiencies • Product marketing
Documenting your objectives of your objective be gauged? What
will make it easier to determine are your key performance indicators
• Regulatory compliance • Building customer
considerations such as your (KIPs)? • Staff requesting training loyalty
program timing, attendees, budget
and content. Achievable: Make sure that you • Employee retention • Market differentiation
can actually achieve what you are
Goals and objectives are often • Improvement of • Customers asking for
planning to do.
used interchangeably, however employee skills or training
there is a difference between Relevant: Keep your objectives
knowledge
them. Goals are broad and general, focused on overall business goals.
whereas objectives are specific (See page 7 for more on the Other reason...
and measurable. Your plan should importance of this)
include both—starting with your Time Bound: Anyone can set
strategic goal statements and then objectives. But if your timing is
drilling down to the more tactical unrealistic, you will not succeed.
objective statements.

Do you need help planning your training program? Call 877-226-7070 • www.mclabs.com 5
STRATEGY

FOCUS ON BUSINESS IMPACT


You are about to begin a complex training program, involving considerable resources and time. Before
you get into the nitty gritty details of your training plan, it is imperative the goals address the overall
business case for your training program.

THINK STRATEGIC reduced employee turnover, • Create Operational Efficiencies:


fewer workplace accidents and Better trained employees lead
When tasked with proving the improved efficiencies. to increased productivity with
value of their programs, training improved processes and greater
professionals often represent this • Increase Profits: Providing a
efficiency.
value with statistical measurements strong sales training program
like “trained X students”, “improved can dramatically improve the • Create Competitive
performance scores by X%” or “held effectiveness of a sales team – Differentiation: Consistent
X days of training”. While these and the profits they bring in. processes, improved customer
are important measurements of service and employees who are
• Increase Brand Recognition:
what a training department may engaged in their jobs lead to a
Whether you are training
have accomplished, they do not better customer experience that
customers or partners on your
accurately reflect the value of the can set your organization apart.
product or training employees
training—at least not in the strategic on how to consistently display • Improve Customer Satisfaction:
terms that affect top line growth. your company’s branding, Training can have a direct effect
As you are planning objectives for training can have a direct effect on the quality of your customer
your training program, be sure to tie on a company’s marketing service as well as the consistency
them back to business outcome. efforts. of the customer experience –
leading to increased customer
Ask: Can training impact core • Improve Time-to-Market: A
satisfaction.
business goals. Clearly detail how properly planned training
your program is relevant to top-line program can speed the time Clearly spelling out the strategic
growth and strategic business goals to market for a new product or reasons keeps your training program
such as: service. This training can apply relevant and illustrates that an
to internal teams as well as investment into your program is an
• Lower Costs: Training can
outside resellers and servicers. investment into the success of your
lead to lower costs in terms of
company.

Do you need help planning your training program? Call 877-226-7070 • www.mclabs.com 6
PART TWO
THE BASICS
WHO, WHAT, WHEN & WHERE

Do you need help planning your training program? Call 877-226-7070 • www.mclabs.com 7
BASICS
WHO
WHO

WHO NEEDS TO BE TRAINED?


Once you’ve established the goals and objectives of your training program, you need to look at
who will participate. This answer will vary depending on whether your program is aimed at internal
or external learners.

INTERNAL TRAINING EXTERNAL TRAINING


When determining who needs To determine who will be trained
internal training, you will need to for external training, you need to
examine a variety of company address a number of questions
resources: including:
• Company Policy may clearly spell • How many product lines are you
out who is trained on what and supporting or rolling out?
at what frequency. • Do partners need training
• Employee Records can provide on your products in order to
information on who needs influence buying decisions or
additional training. Safety drive channel sales?
violations, performance reports • Do you have a new product
and complaints may all be or upgrades that need to be
indicators of the need for communicated?
additional training.
• Does training influence buying
• Performance Data: You can use decisions?
existing performace reports, or
• Have your customers or partners
you can develop a formal testing
expressed interest in learning
system to determine deficiencies
more about your products?
that can be addressed with
training. You will need to work closely with
your product, sales, technical and
• Observations and Informal
customer service departments and
Discussions: Talk with other
may need to conduct specialized
employees, supervisors and
market research to answer these
managers. They can often
questions.
provide candid information on
where training is needed.

Do you need help planning your training program? Call 877-226-7070 • www.mclabs.com 8
BASICS
WHAT
CONTENT

COURSE CONTENT
The quality of the information that is delivered can make or break your training program. The right
content will not only provide information, but will also engage your learners to help ensure they retain
the knowledge you want them to learn.
The content you deliver as part of WHERE DOES YOUR Also consider adapting course In these cases, you may need to
your training program is perhaps CONTENT COME FROM? content that has been previously develop entirely new content. First,
one of the most important parts of used by your company. Even if it’s identify who will create this content.
the training. As such, you should Is there existing content for teaching outdated, it may be helpful as a Do you have the resources to
carefully consider your content as this material or do you need to starting point. develop content in-house or will you
part of your training plan. develop it? need to outsource this?
There will be instances where
Creating new content can be costly existing content will not work, such
IS CONTENT and time-consuming. Luckily, for as training on a unique or new
APPROPRIATE FOR THE many training topics it is possible product or for proprietary systems.
AUDIENCE? to find existing resources that can
Whether you are training internal or either be used out of the box or
external learners, be sure to consider adapted to meet your needs. For
the knowledge and skill level of your example, there is a wide variety of
learners including: soft skills, software and technical
training content that has already
• Education
been developed and is available for
• How much knowledge they have use either as stand-alone material or
on this topic as a complete course.

• How they will apply the content In some cases, you may not be
able to find content that exactly
This information will help you
meets your needs, but can serve as
determine what content and training
a starting point to adapt your own
modality are appropriate and will be
course material.
most effective for your learners.

Do you need help planning your training program? Call 877-226-7070 • www.mclabs.com 9
BASICS
WHEN
WHEN

HOW SOON DOES YOUR TRAINING


NEED TO TAKE PLACE?
The timing and frequency of your training is critical to the success of your program.
There are a number of considerations • Engineering needs training in • Do you have the staffing/
Pro-Tip: Include a
that will go into determining the order to produce a new product resources to train everyone at
timing and frequency of your training or service once? comprehensive training
program. • Sales teams need training in With a firm grasp on how quickly schedule in your plan to
order to sell a new product the training needs to happen, you identify gaps or additional
SPEED TO KNOWLEDGE will better be able to determine how
• Partners need training in order requirements.
Are there outside forces dictating quickly your plan will need to move
to expand the reach of your
your learners’ speed to knowledge? forward and if you need to bring in
product
These might include: outside resources to accommodate
• Customers need training either
• Critical performance issues the schedule.
prior to or in conjunction with a
• Upcoming new products/service new product release
rollouts
• Regulatory requirements
PHASING
Can/should your training be
• Mergers and aquisitions
implemented in phases? There are
• Company expansion several questions to consider:
Is there a deadline attached to the • Is everyone who is receiving the
nee for knowledge, then a schedule training centrally located?
to complete training is critical.
• Does everyone need to be
TIME TO MARKET trained at once?

Both internal and external facing • Do you need to phase the


training programs can affect a training in order to cover critical
company’s time to market. Do any of business processes outside of
the following apply to your training training?
program?

Do you need help planning your training program? Call 877-226-7070 • www.mclabs.com 10
BASICS
WHERE
LOCATION

CHOOSING A TRAINING LOCATION


Even the best training program can fail if it takes place in the wrong environment. Carefully consider
the needs of your learners as well as the material they will be learning when choosing a location.

Choosing a venue and closely OPTIMUM LEARNING WOULD YOU BENEFIT FROM HYBRID
attending to details such as course ENVIRONMENT
content, class size and environment TRAINING DELIVERY:
will help ensure a successful learning There are a number of considerations
Hybrid training is a delivery modality where remote students are
experience. to ensure that your training location
can provide an appropriate learning
added to classroom training.
Course Material: Does your course environment. Whether you plan to Utilizing advanced audio-video tools, remote students are
material dictate certain requirements hold the training in your own facility able to attend courses from their location, and receive the
for your training environment? or a third-party venue, you should same interaction and classroom experience as those who are
consider the following: physically in the class.
Number of Participants: Can your
learners be accomodated in one • Is the facility designed for This powerful modality enables you to train more participants
location? training? with fewer resources. You save on travel costs and other
expenses while still providing an exceptional learning experience.
Optimum Class Size: Even if you • Does the location provide a
can fit all of your participants in one distraction free environment?
location—should you? Be sure to For more information on how hybrid learning can
consider the optimum class size for • Does the facility provide a be incorporated into your training program, visit
the best learning experience. designated area for breaks? www.mclabs.com.
Location of Participants: Are your • Does the facility provide onsite
participants centrally located or tech support?
geographically dispersed? Do you
have the budget available for travel
• Does the facility provide catering
and snacks?
if you need to bring participants to
the training? • Is your facility equipped with the Pro-Tip: For the best learning experience, choose a facility that
technology you need for your
Available Space: Do you have is designed for training. This will help eliminate distractions and
training?
appropriate onsite facilities or will encourage knowledge retention.
you need to rent a training facility?

Do you need help planning your training program? Call 877-226-7070 • www.mclabs.com 11
PART THREE
LOGISTICS

Do you need help planning your training program? Call 877-226-7070 • www.mclabs.com 12
LOGISTICS

BUDGET
No plan would be complete without an accurate budget. Whether you provide a detailed cost analysis
or only provide a list of items billed to your department, be consistent and clear in your assumptions

One of the major questions to be well. Be sure to get a compprensive Indirect Costs
answered when completing your quote from the venue so you aren’t Staffing: Include salaries for Pro-Tip: Hidden costs can
training plan is “How much will this surprised by extras like internet instructors or training department break a budget without
program cost?” Seems like a simple service or setup. staff warning. Never assume
enough exercise, but there are a
Food: Whether you are providing Productivity: Determine loss of something is included until
number of considerations involved
breakfast, lunch or snacks for your productivity costs while participants you have it in writing.
before you start preparing a list of
attendees, be sure to include these are away at training
expenses.
in your overall costs.
DIRECT/INDIRECT IS YOUR TRAINING
Technology: Include any hardware or
COSTS software that needs to be purchased
PROGRAM A PROFIT
or rented. Also include any additional CENTER?
Does your budget only include the
charges for dedicated bandwidth or If your training program is a profit
costs of tangible invoicable items,
virtual training services. center, your will need to include
or do you include the full cost of the
program including indrect costs? Content: Any course content that anticipated income in your budget.
This may depend on your company’s you purchase would be a direct cost. You may also need to include
accounting system. You may also additional expenses for marketing
Printing: Include costs for the your training.
need to decide whether your budget
production and delivery of your
is an overall anticipated spend, or if
course materials.
it’s broken out as a per student cost.
Marketing Materials: Include costs for
Direct Costs
any materials or services needed to
Travel: Be sure to include
market your training
transportation, hotel, food and other
incidentals. Other Services: If you need to hire
additional staff such as instructors
Venue: If you need to rent space
or instructional designers, be sure to
for your training, include this as
include their fees.

Do you need help planning your training program? Call 877-226-7070 • www.mclabs.com 13
LOGISTICS
PART TWO

TECHNOLOGY
Whether you are conducting a technical training or a soft skills class, you will likely have technology
needs. If your needs are as simple as a projector or as complex as a full computer lab, be sure to
include them in your plan.
Documenting your technology • Will you need to have software
needs as part of your training plan or virtual machines installed? WOULD YOU BENEFIT FROM A VIRTUAL
will make it easier to determine TRAINING LAB?
if you can rely on your facility to • Would your training benefit from
a Virtual Training Lab? Virtual Training Lab allows you to run complex labs and
provide and support the technology
(See sidebar) application training with the convenience of a cloud-based
for your training. You should
consider the following:
solution. Your learners are able to easily access labs from any
• Do you have remote learners computer with internet and a standard web browser—through a
• Does your training require that need to connect to the
secure URL.
specific software, operating training? (See page 11 for more
information on hybrid learning) Because the solution is cloud based, you save on IT
systems or other technology?
infrastructure and maintenance. There is no need to maintain
• Will you need computers or is • Does your training require costly computer labs, install software on individual machines,
this a BYOD (Bring Your Own significant bandwidth? ship servers and equipment, or worry about the capabilities of
Device) event?
• Does the facility offer technical
learners’ computers.

• Do you have specific computer and event support? For more information on how Virtual Training Labs
hardware requirements? can be incorporated into your training program,
visit www.mclabs.com.
• Does the training facility provide
computers or do you need to
source them?

Pro-Tip: Technical issues are inevitable. Having someone on-site


to deal with issues as they arise is an absolute must in computer-
based training. Don’t be caught in the midst of a training
crippled by a technical issue.

Do you need help planning your training program? Call 877-226-7070 • www.mclabs.com 14
LOGISTICS
SCHEDULING

SCHEDULING
The complexity of course scheduling can vary depending on a number of factors. Creating an optimal
training schedule that fits everyone’s agenda requires careful attention to detail.

You want to organize training • Time needed to complete out-of- • Keep track of registration
sessions in order to maximize class exercises confirmations, reminder emails,
attendance while also using and important data.
• Competing activities
resources in the most effective way.
• Track costs, forecast budgets
When mapping out the times and TECHNOLOGY and monitor profitability details
dates of your training program,
There are a number of tools you may for each session
consider the following:
use for your scheduling including on-
• When training needs to line registrations sytems and training
be completed (if there is a resource management systems.
deadline)
Training resource management
• Number of learners systems can be especially beneficial
• Number of classes in developing and managing your
schedule—helping you control costs
• Location of learners and avoid mistakes and delays.
• Travel time Training resource management
• Instructor schedules systems make it possible to:

• Workload of participants (for • Organize sessions and assign


internal training) resources in the most cost-
effective way
• Venue availability
• Create and quickly modify the
• Equipment availability
optimal training schedule to fit
• Appropriate class spacing for everyone’s agenda.
knowledge retention

Do you need help planning your training program? Call 877-226-7070 • www.mclabs.com 15
LOGISTICS
INSTRUCTORS

INSTRUCTOR RESOURCES
Instructors are integral to a successful training program. Be sure to include details on
your instructor utilization and preparation in your training plan.
The value of training relies heavily on • Do you have in-house instructors • Assistance with course • Fresh approach: For internal
content and delivery. Finding quality or will you need to source materials: In many cases, training, an outside instructor
instructors to deliver your training is additional instructors? you can work with outside may be especially beneficial as
critical to your program’s success. instructors who may already they can be seen as the expert in
• Can you utilize a hybrid learning have their own curriculum and your material, versus a coworker
When looking for instructors keep in modality to increase your course materials. with preconceived expectations.
mind that a quality instructor is more instructor utilization? (see page
than just a subject matter expert. • Focus on core competencies:
11 for more information)
The most effective instructors are Outsourcing your instruction
also able to engage and motivate • Would you benefit from outside functions allows you to focus
participants. instructors? on core activities, freeing up
valuable time and resources.
When planning for instructors, INSTRUCTOR SOURCING
consider the following: In many cases, you may not have WOULD YOU BENEFIT FROM MICROTEK’S
internal resources and will need to
• What is the optimal class size for
source additional instructors.
INSTRUCTOR SOURCING?
your training?
Rather than hiring additional staff, Whether you need just one instructor to supplement your team
• How many classes will you hold you may benefit from short term or hundreds to support a large-scale training rollout, MicroTek’s
and how many instructors will contracts with an outside instructor comprehensive database contains the names of thousands of
you need? sourcing company. Some of the qualified trainers who are experts on a wide range of technical
benefits include: platforms and business subjects.
• What is the anticipated workload
• Flexibility: Secure qualified
for instructors? (i.e. how many
training talent where and when
classes will they need to teach, For more information on how MicroTek’s
you need them.
when, how long, etc.) instructor sourcing can benefit your training
• Cost effective: Access to
program, visit www.mclabs.com.
• Will you need a train-the-trainer specialized trainers without a
program? long-term staffing commitment.

Do you need help planning your training program? Call 877-226-7070 • www.mclabs.com 16
LOGISTICS
RESULTS

MEASUREMENTS AND REPORTING


Once your training program is complete, it is important to measure and report on the successes and
challenges as well as the business impact.
It is important to take the time to • Satisfaction and cost-analysis EXTERNAL TRAINING
wrap up by analyzing and reporting surveys
Your ROI for external training should
on your training program results. • Financial indicators be determined by evaluating:
This reporting will be critical as The metrics used to evaluate your • How well the training program
you begin planning your next program are also going to vary met the learner’s needs and
program and will also allow you based on whether you are providing objectives
to demonstrate the value of your internal or external training.
training program to the company as • Cost-effectiveness of the
a whole. INTERNAL TRAINING training program

It is important to prepare in advance Internal training programs will report • Revenue generated (if you
and include Key Performance on the impact that the training has charge for your training)
Indicators (KPI) in your initial plan. on both individual learners and the • What organizational benefits it
This ensures you have properly overall organization. Your report has yielded
mapped activities to program goals should include the effectiveness of
and objectives; identifies gaps and your training program in four key
deficiencies and provides valuable categories:
data regarding learning outcomes. • How well the training program
Your program plan should identify met the learner’s needs and
how you intend to evaluate your objectives
program. Possible tools include: • What knowledge and skills
• Post training testing/ learners have acquired
assessments • What desirable change it has
• Performance evaluations brought to learners’ performance
• What organizational benefits it
has yielded

Do you need help planning your training program? Call 877-226-7070 • www.mclabs.com 17
LOGISTICS
PART FOUR

MARKETING YOUR TRAINING


Whether you are providing training to those inside your company, or to customers and partners,
you will need marketing to ensure the program’s sucess.
You’ve created a killer plan for As you conduct your classes, survey
your training program, and you’re your participants on their experience.
ready to roll it out. So how do you Use these testimonials in your email
get management and students on communications, on your website
board? Whether you’re promoting and in course materials to help add
your training program to internal credibility to the power and value of
employees, channel partners or the training.
customers, there are strategies to
make your program more widely
ENGAGE EVANGELISTS
visible and accepted. AND ADVOCATES
Research shows that people are
COMMUNICATE THE influenced most by peers that they
BENEFITS trust, so finding champions to speak
As you develop your training about your courses is critical to
program marketing plan, be sure successful promotion. Create a blog
to communicate the benefits of the or develop articles that contain tips
training. That’s right, you may need to making the most of the training
to “make the case” for why someone program.
would want to take your courses.
Consider creating a Wiki page, email,
MARKET YOUR
or short FAQ that highlights the
PROGRAM IN ADVANCE
Pro-Tip: Marketing your hybrid learning-When sending updates
benefits of your program. Your training program is a significant
use of resources and money. Keep
about upcoming courses and new training content, always
Cite industry research and other mention the option to take the class virtually and provide a link
your stakeholders excited by
resources to get your audience
marketing your program in advance. to your wiki, FAQ page, or other content that provides more
excited about the training and the
Provide teaser materials and information on your hybrid learning program.
value they’ll get from participating.
descriptions of the program to help
create momentum.

Do you need help planning your training program? Call 877-226-7070 • www.mclabs.com 18
LOGISTICS
PART FOUR

DO YOU NEED OUTSIDE HELP?


Planning the logistics of a large training program requires attention to detail, clear communication,
perfect timing across project tasks, and a high level of coordination. In many instances, it makes sense
to work with an outside vendor for some or all of your planning.
The large amount of detail that of expertise, it might make sense
goes into planning the logistics to work with a supplier for your WOULD YOU BENEFIT FROM MICROTEK’S
of a training program can be planning so that you can focus on TRAINING ROLLOUTS SERVICES?
overwhelming—whether you are your core responsibilities. A training
MicroTek allows you to focus on the goals and objectives
new to the field or are a seasoned outsource provider can help you:
professional.
for your event while we take care of all the details. Our team
• Create a budget, select venues supports large scale technical or non-technical events and
And if you’re planning a multi- and negotiate contracts complex meeting logistics for single venues or multiple locations.
location event, tasks require
• Procure and support technical
scheduling hundreds of participants,
equipment
negotiations with multiple vendors, For more information on how MicroTek’s
complex coordination and other • Contact multiple vendors and training rollouts services can benefit your
logistics you may not have even track multiple invoices training program, visit www.mclabs.com.
thought of.
• Print and ship courseware and
Depending on your available badging materials
resources and the complexity of your
• Book guest accommodations
program, you may want to consider
and concierge services
enlisting a training solutions provider
to be sure you don’t overlook • Send schedules and reminders to
anything. attendees

Additionally, depending on your area

Do you need help planning your training program? Call 877-226-7070 • www.mclabs.com 19
PART FOUR

WHAT’S NEXT?
As a single-source training outsourcing provider, MicroTek can help simplify
your training program—wherever you are in the planning process.

Visit www.mclabs.com to
learn more about all of our
services including:
• Training Logistics
• Training Rooms
• Virtual Solutions
• Instructor Sourcing

Do you need help planning your training program? Call 877-226-7070 • www.mclabs.com 20

You might also like